Overview     

POPIA and PAIA compliance has become a non-negotiable requirement for South African law firms and legal practitioners. With increasing regulatory scrutiny, evolving data privacy risks, and the growing use of AI and legal technology, firms must ensure that their information governance frameworks align with both the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA).  

This practical and informative masterclass will provide legal professionals with a comprehensive understanding of their obligations relating to the collection, processing, storage, protection and disclosure of personal information within a legal practice environment. The session will further explore the intersection between confidentiality, legal professional privilege, PAIA requests and POPIA compliance obligations.  

Join Nicolene Schoeman-Louw on the 24th of June 2026 from 10h00 to 12h00 as she unpacks the legislative framework governing personal information in South Africa, explains the practical implementation of lawful processing principles and shares actionable compliance strategies that law firms can immediately apply within their organisations.  

Learning objectives   

Attending this webinar will equip you with the following skills:  

•       Understand the legislative framework and compliance requirements of POPIA and PAIA for law firms  

•       Identify and classify personal information processed within a legal practice  

•       Apply the eight conditions for lawful processing in day-to-day firm operations  

•       Implement practical compliance measures, including Information Officer registration, policies and retention frameworks  

•       Distinguish between confidentiality, legal professional privilege, and statutory disclosure obligations  

•       Assess data privacy risks associated with AI tools and emerging legal technologies  

Content   

The webinar will cover the following topics:  

•       Introduction to POPIA and PAIA Compliance  

o   Overview of the legislative framework  

o   The role of the Information Regulator  

o   Compliance obligations for law firms  

o   Consequences of non-compliance  

•       Understanding Personal Information and Data Subject Rights  

o   Definition of personal information under POPIA  

o   Data subject participation and rights  

o   Lawful processing principles  

o   Information quality, openness and security safeguards  

•       Confidentiality, Legal Privilege and Information Governance  

o   Attorney-client confidentiality obligations  

o   Legal professional privilege under PAIA  

o   Grounds for refusal of access requests  

o   Managing privileged and confidential records  

•       PAIA Compliance Requirements for Law Firms  

o   Information Officer and Deputy Information Officer duties  

o   Compiling and maintaining a PAIA Manual  

o   Managing access requests and timelines  

o   Record management and retention obligations  

•       AI, Technology and Data Privacy Risks  

o   POPIA implications of AI and legal technology tools  

o   Operator agreements and third-party risks  

o   Managing cybersecurity and data breach obligations  

o   Best practices for ongoing compliance monitoring 

Obtaining your CPD certificate  

This training is compliant with the International Education Standard (IES7) issued by the International Federation of Accountants and recognised for CPD by relevant professional bodies including ACCA, CIMA, IAC, IIA, SAICA and SAIPA.  

All attendees are issued with a CPD certificate available in an online profile.    

About the presenter  

Nicolene  Schoeman-Louw   

Nicolene  Schoeman-Louw is the Founder and Managing Director of Schoeman Law Inc in Cape Town, South Africa. She is an admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, Conveyancer, Notary Public and Mediator with a passion for assisting entrepreneurs to reach their most ambitious goals.   

Nicolene holds an LLB degree cum laude, LLM from the University of the Free State and a postgraduate diploma in financial planning (CFP) from the University of Stellenbosch. She lectured at the University of the Free State during her studies, presently guest-lectures at Stellenbosch Business School. She also presents seminars and workshops on a wide range of legal topics for various organizations. Nicolene is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of PocketAdvisor where she also doubles up as a skilled facilitator.  

Who should attend?  

The following persons will benefit from attending this webinar:  

• Practising accountants including: CA(SA), Professional Accountant (SA), AGA(SA), FCCA, BAP(SA), BA(SA) and ACCA.  

• Registered auditors.  

• Audit managers.  

• Trainee accountants.    

Price  

• R 450.00 - Online admission - Individual.  

• Group Price 1 - From R337 per person (up to 5 users)   

• Group Price 2 - From R260 per person (up to 10 users)   

• Group Price 3 - From R224 per person (over 11 users)  

Steps to register for the event:   

If you already have a profile, login and register for the webinar.  

If you don’t have a profile, create a free profile then login and register for the webinar.  

Click here to create a free profile (There is no charge to create a profile and gain access to our free Monthly Practice Management Series).  

Click here to find out about the Technical Resource Centre & CPD Subscription options.    

Additional material    

By attending this webinar you will be provided with:  

• A summarised slide presentation.  

• Reference documents and/or course material where available.  

• You can ask questions during the webinar and you will also have access to the presenter after the webinar.    

Corporate training solutions  

At the Accounting Academy, we recognize the evolving needs of businesses in today's dynamic environment. Beyond our standard webinar offerings, we provide tailored corporate training solutions designed to empower your team with the latest in accounting and professional skills. Whether you're looking for online sessions or face-to-face training, our programs are crafted to ensure a comprehensive and engaging learning experience.  

Drawing inspiration from modern training methodologies, our corporate solutions are interactive, adaptable, and focused on real-world applications. We prioritize hands-on learning, ensuring your team can immediately apply their newfound knowledge in practical scenarios.  

Interested in a bespoke corporate training experience? Reach out to us at corporate@accountingacademy.co.za or call 010 593 0466. Together, let's design a training program that elevates your team's capabilities and aligns with your organizational goals.     

Contact us  

  Have any questions or need any assistance? Contact us today!  

• Online chat through our website.  

• WhatsApp: Start chatting (+27635026114)  

• Phone: 010 593 0466  

• E-mail: ticket@accountingacademy.co.za